Abyssal Sovereignty

"Buzz...!"

"Stop making so much noise!"

In an instant, the screaming bee was crushed underfoot, its red blood splattering across the yellow sand and turning it a deep crimson.

Since the appearance of the first bee, Yverantheia had been fighting for what felt like an eternity. The ground was littered with the corpses of fallen bees.

"Is it over now...?"

The bee Yverantheia had just slain was the last one she could see. For some time now, the swarms of bees had started to diminish in number, indicating that their overall count was running low.

However, Yverantheia still hadn’t encountered any higher-level beings. The bees she faced were all of the same level—worker bees, with no specialized combat types or queen-like figures.

In the worst case, these bees might have merely been probing her defenses, not revealing their true strength.

‘It’s still too dangerous here. I’ll come back when I’m stronger…’

Without hesitation, Yverantheia began running back the way she came.

"Buzz!!"

‘Are they panicking?’

As if sensing their prey’s escape, a swarm of bees surged up from the ground around Yverantheia.

Yet, they were no match for her.

Surrounded by swirling magical energies, Yverantheia’s speed increased dramatically in an instant, leaving the pursuing bees far behind.

At her current pace, Yverantheia estimated she would reach the seaside in less than a day.

But oddly enough, after nearly two days, she still saw nothing but endless yellow sand.

"What’s going on? Did I get lost?"

It was easy to get lost in such a desolate desert—mirages, lack of landmarks, and psychological misjudgments were common reasons for losing one's way.

But this didn't apply to Yverantheia. She had set coordinates at the seaside through magic, allowing her to sense the direction at any time.

Yet now it felt as though she were running on a treadmill, no matter how fast she moved, she couldn’t reach the coast.

"Is this all the food I have left...?"

Yverantheia stopped to check her supply bag. Inside, there was only a piece of jerky remaining. The fish she had caught in the ocean and the food given by the merfolk had been consumed during this time.

As for the little tentacle, it was still in its dormant state.

"Better ration it... hmm?"

Suddenly, the desert began to tremble. The once calm yellow sand was lifted into the air, forming a cloud of dust.

With increasing intensity, a massive figure erupted from the sand, towering before Yverantheia.

It was a centipede covered in purple armor-like plating, with each segment ending in razor-sharp blades. Its enormous and menacing mandibles seemed capable of tearing through a house in a single bite. Its two pairs of eyes glowed with a blue light. Even just the part emerging from the ground was already larger than the 'plant Cthulhu' Yverantheia had encountered before.

"Jerky... damn it!"

The enormous centipede’s emergence created a powerful gust of wind that sent Yverantheia's jerky flying.

She intended to retrieve it immediately, but a few smaller centipedes that appeared in the distance quickly snatched it up.

"… This is troublesome..."

A massive centipede blocked her path, while a swarm of smaller centipedes obstructed her retreat.

"Roar!"

At the giant centipede’s roar, the smaller centipedes swarmed toward Yverantheia.

Though they were termed 'small,' they were still significantly larger than Yverantheia compared to the giant centipede.

Yverantheia enhanced her physical abilities to dodge their attacks and countered with magic.

However, when her magic hit the centipede’s body, it was deflected by their hard shells.

The centipedes' shells were not only incredibly tough but also designed with fluid dynamics in mind, causing many spells to slide off, redirect or bounce away due to their smooth, slanted surfaces.

Realizing this, Yverantheia switched to different magic. She placed various magical orbs along her path and triggered them as the centipedes approached.

This magic was inspired by the magical landmines Yverantheia had encountered during her time as a saint. If direct attacks were ineffective, she would use magic that dealt damage without needing direct hits.

Sure enough, this approach successfully inflicted significant damage on the centipedes.

But the centipedes seemed to have gained some intelligence, as they began actively avoiding the magical mines Yverantheia had laid.

This made the battle much more difficult. Unlike the bees, which had little intelligence, the centipedes were not only well-defended and fast but also showed a strong capacity to learn. Their offensive capabilities, judging by their fierce mandibles, were likely very high as well.

"Roar!!"

As if to make matters worse, the giant centipede began to move.

Despite its slower speed compared to the smaller centipedes, its immense size allowed it to ignore Yverantheia’s magical mines and charge directly at her.

"… There’s no choice."

With the situation becoming critical, escape was impossible and her magical energy was insufficient for a prolonged fight. She decided to take a gamble.

Yverantheia stopped and, with a swift turn, charged straight at the giant centipede.

The two rapidly closed the distance, and before the giant centipede could react, Yverantheia plunged into its maw.

"Roar…?"

The giant centipede emitted a confused sound, having never encountered prey that willingly entered its mouth.

But in the next moment, it understood Yverantheia's intention.

Heat, cold, numbness, and pain exploded within its body.

"Roar! Roar!!"

The giant centipede let out a piercing, anguished cry, attempting to expel Yverantheia. However, with her momentum combined with its own, she drove deep into its insides, leaving it powerless.

Its segments began to swell, glowing with a molten orange light, and eventually, it exploded.

"Roar…!"

The giant centipede’s body was blown apart from the inside, and from one of the severed segments, a girl emerged.

Her body was coated in corrosive slime, exposing bones through her skin, and even the skin on her face was mostly eaten away.

"Buzz!?"

Perhaps due to the learning ability backfiring, the remaining smaller centipedes, upon seeing Yverantheia in a state resembling a zombie, were overcome with fear and fled, disregarding their leader’s fate.

"Well… did it work..."

Yverantheia looked at the now-dead giant centipede and collapsed to the ground.

To kill the giant centipede, she had expended much of her magical energy, but she still had enough to regenerate her body.

"… I’ll... rest a bit..."

Using the giant centipede’s corpse as cover, she used her remaining magic to heal and regenerate her damaged corroded body.